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The artists arrived to Toronto on November 23 carrying with them 72 objects from home. Objects ranging from the absurd to the personal, trinkets, objects with stories. On November 23, from 2-9pm, they opened the doors of the gallery with a performance called Open Barter Market. The public was invited to bring an object of their own to trade and barter for one of the objects the artists brought. Or instead of an object, you could trade an hour of your time in which the artists would do an action for you, within reason, at a location of your choosing. After a day of bartering and exchanging objects and stories about the objects, the artists have 72 new objects. Some absurd, some personal, trinkets, objects with stories.
From Tuesday November 24 to Sunday November 29, daily from 9am to 9pm, the artists create a performance for and with each of the newly exchanged 72 objects. All of the objects stay in the gallery space, and may become a part of the next performance.
You are invited to come to the gallery anytime during the week from 9am - 9pm and witness the performances created with these objects. If you exchanged an object at the Open Barter Market, you are especially invited to come and see the performance made with your object.
Barter is a relational practice, and is as old as the wheel. In The Artist and the Beanstalk, Nunez & Perez create an alternative exchange and cultural economy, one based not on capitalist value, but on need value. Barter as an opportunity for performance. Performance as an opportunity for escape.
+ ARTICLE: On Escapist Action: Performance in Recession by Laura Paolini + PHOTO GALLERY: The Artist and the Beanstalk |
